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Thursday Will Be an Important Night For Tyler Glasnow to Get Back on Track

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INDIANAPOLIS — Indians manager Dean Treanor didn’t mince words or downplay the importance of Thursday for the organization’s top prospect.

Simply put, Tyler Glasnow needs to have a good outing. Glasnow, the organization’s top-ranked prospect, is scheduled to start the first game of a doubleheader against Louisville.

He’s coming off a non-inspiring start at Toledo. Glasnow’s pitching line would have played in poker, but it wasn’t good for baseball.

“If he was a poker player, it would have been a big night with four 3’s — three innings, three hits, three walks, and three strikeouts,” Treanor said. “A lot of pitches… He was all over the place.”

Glasnow needed 58 pitches to make it through three innings in his last start. But that’s more the norm than an oddity. In three rehab starts since returning from right shoulder discomfort, Glasnow has thrown three innings each time. But he’s allowed three walks in each of those outings, throwing at least 55 pitches every time.

The lack of command — and results — doesn’t work for a pitcher looking to return to the major leagues. Glasnow was taken off the 15-day disabled list and optioned back to Indianapolis on Sunday.

Now, it’s time for Glasnow to show the organization his potential. He’s done that for a majority of the season, posting a 1.89 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 19 starts. But lasting just three innings in his previous start was not a good sign.

“He obviously needs to step it up,” Treanor said. “He has to show that he’s somebody that they can count on and be a factor up there. I don’t know what their thoughts are with him, but I think he understands that it’s a big start for him.”

Glasnow may internally realize this is a big start for him, but he doesn’t say as much verbally.

“No, I’m just going to take it like normal,” Glasnow said. “The season is a season. I’m just going to go out and treat it like every other start.”

Glasnow said he has not been told if he has any sort of pitch or inning limitation, but added he feels physically fine and could pitch a full outing if needed. Treanor was also not yet aware if there would be any sort of pitch count/inning limit placed on Glasnow. He was put on the 15-day disabled list on July 24 and made his first rehab start with Altoona on Aug. 14.

“I think taking the 20-some days off is what kind of got me out of whack,” Glasnow said. “These starts are making me feel normal again. It was kind of a longer process to get back on track, but I’m feeling better now.”

In some recent starts, Glasnow has decreased his velocity by a few miles per hour in order to have better command.

“For me, he has to get after it,” Treanor said. “I feel you can always tone it down. But if you tone it down it’s very difficult to gear it back up. I’d rather him go out there and get after it tomorrow.”

Glasnow is taking a more simplistic approach: “I just want to mix in all of my pitches, compete, and get guys out.”

Trevor Williams, the organization’s 16th-ranked prospect, is scheduled to start the second game and we will have live coverage of both games, along with full recaps.

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